Disclaimer: All characters belong to their owners.
Note: I couldn't resist. They make such a cute couple! This occurs in the Kid Stuff storyline, but I forget where exactly. There's a reference to this period in KS 8, when Sasami talks with Trunks and gives him a crystal. Just thought I'd expand on it. It's also the first time Sasami meets Chi-Chi.
... are thoughts.
Summary: Gohan gets a surprise visit from Sasami.
A Tale of Us, Chapter 1
I should call her...but what could I say? It's been three months since we last talked. Gohan sighed and went back to his algebra notes. I'll call her after I'm done studying. Maybe.
"Gohan!"
Gohan nearly fell out of his chair. He managed to appear only slightly dazed as he turned to the doorway. "Oh, it's you, Mom. What's up?"
"You have a guest, son," Chi-chi replied.
"Really? Who?"
Chi-chi smiled thinly. "I was hoping you could tell me that." It was obvious that she was upset about not knowing one of her son's friends.
Gohan smoothed out his hair. "Did they say what they wanted?"
"Just to talk with you." She eyed him suspiciously. "Be sure you don't talk too long, though. You've got studying to do."
"Okay, Mom," he promised with a nod.
"Good. Your visitor is outside."
As he walked to the front door, Gohan tried to figure out who his guest could be. Maybe it's Dende. I don't think Mom knows him. When he stopped in the front yard, Gohan didn't see anything at first. Then he looked up.
Just beneath the clouds, he could make out a familiar purple figure.
I should've known it was him. No way would Mom let him in the house. "Hey, Icarus! Down here, buddy!"
There was an answering squawk, and a few seconds later, the little dragon landed on his hind feet, flapping his wings gently.
Gohan ran up to his old friend. "Icarus! Long time no see!"
Icarus leaned down to lick his face, and that was when Gohan saw his visitor for the first time. She was sitting on the dragon's back, so she'd been hidden from his view. She wore a green kimono, and her blue hair, though normally in pigtails, cascaded down her back, even past her shoulders.
For a few seconds, Gohan was speechless. That turned out to be a big mistake, because someone else ended the silence.
"Who's your friend, Gohan?" Chi-chi asked from the door.
Gohan swallowed nervously. "Mom, this is Sasami. We trained together at King Kai's school." Without thinking, he automatically reached up to help Sasami down. Had he been paying attention, he would have merely took her outstretched hand as she stepped down. However, Gohan was acting on something more than instinct. Instead, he grabbed her by the waist and lifted her off Icarus's back. By the time he realized how close he was standing to Icarus, it was too late, and he had no choice but to set Sasami down very close to himself.
Sasami, being the affectionate person she was, misread his meaning, and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him something more than a friendly hug. "It's good to see you again, too," she whispered in his ear, squeezing his neck for a moment. Then she went over and introduced herself to Chi-chi, just to be polite.
Gohan did his best to conceal the redness in his face while Sasami and his mother talked about something. He was too nervous to pay attention. Thoughts were racing through his head at a hundred miles per second. What is Sasami doing here? Why didn't she call first? Why hasn't Mom given me the look yet?
Chi-chi finally invited Sasami inside, and then she gave Gohan the look. "Is there anything you want to tell me, Gohan?"
"Huh?" He gave her his most innocent look. "What do you mean?"
"That was more than just a friendly hug. Should I be concerned about leaving you two alone?"
Gohan blushed. "Mom, Sasami and I are just friends! Honest!"
"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" Chi-chi asked as she disappeared into the kitchen.
Gohan sighed and suddenly noticed that Sasami was gone. He soon found her headed straight for his room. He quickly caught up with her and grabbed her hand. "Where are you going?"
Sasami turned around and gave him a surprised look. "Well, I've never seen your room before, and I didn't think you'd mind. Unless you've got something to hide...?"
"No, I guess not," he answered quickly.
She smiled at him. "So there's nothing in there you don't want me to see?"
"Nope." At least, I hope there isn't...
"Okay, if you're sure..." When Gohan didn't argue, she gave his hand a squeeze and dragged him into the room. "Wow! It's just like I always pictured it!"
"Really?" Gohan asked in surprise.
"Sure! Although it is missing the battle uniforms all over the floor, martial arts trophies on the desk, and fist dents in the wall. Other than that, it's exactly like I thought it would be."
Gohan smirked. "So you think I'm a fighting nut."
"I was going to say fighting fanatic."
"Is there a difference?"
Sasami shrugged and turned her attention to the room. Gohan went back to his notes, though he couldn't really focus on them. Sasami kept making little amused noises every time she found something interesting, which was about every three minutes. He couldn't help but smile as he dragged his pencil across the notepad, thinking of all the good times they'd shared with each other. Strangely enough, he could only think of a few times. But why is that? I like Sasami, I really do...but I always get nervous when I'm alone with her. Is that why I always call instead of visiting her?
"Hey, Gohan?" Sasami asked suddenly.
"Huh? What?"
"Am I bothering you?"
Gohan turned to look at her. "What do you mean?"
"Well, you're studying and everything..."
"You obviously don't know my mother. She's like a female Vegeta, except she's obsessed with me becoming a scholar instead of beating up my Dad."
"Sounds harsh." Sasami paused. "So...you don't mind me going through your stuff?"
"Don't feel guilty. As soon as I get the chance, I'll go through all your stuff, too."
While it wasn't the answer Sasami had been looking for, it was enough to keep her quiet for a few more minutes.
Gohan turned back to his notes, froze in shock, and nearly fainted dead away. No, algebra hadn't gotten any scarier in the last few minutes. But the huge sketch he'd done of Sasami's face was pretty alarming. Especially when he hadn't even realized that he'd been doing it.
"What are you studying over there, anyway?" Sasami asked a few seconds later.
Gohan slammed his notepad shut as she peered over his shoulder. "Nothing! It's just boring school stuff!"
"You're hiding something, aren't you? What is it?"
"Nothing!" Gohan tightened his grip on the notepad. "Go back to looking at stuff!"
"Don't make me have to seduce you, Gohan. You'd just be embarrassed, and I...well, you'd be more embarrassed when I see what's in the notepad. Just hand it over."
"No!"
"Fine." Sasami straightened out her hair, then batted her eyelashes. "Don't you think I'm cute?"
"I'm not saying anything without a lawyer present."
"Suit yourself. I warned you." Sasami turned away from him.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" he cried.
"Seducing you," she replied, becoming a bit more obvious with what she was planning.
"HEY! Stop that! My mother's in the kitchen!"
"Oh, fine. But you WILL give me that notepad."
"No, I won't. Now tie that thing back up!"
"It's called a kimono, Gohan."
"I don't care what it's called! Just make sure it's tied all the way, and I mean TIGHT!"
Sasami giggled mischievously. "Are we getting nervous, Gohan?"
"No, we're just trying not to get into trouble! If Mom even thought we were doing something in here..."
"Oh, don't worry. You won't be doing anything. Just sit back and enjoy the seduction...if you can stay conscious."
Gohan rolled his eyes. "Are you still stuck on that?"
Sasami walked over and stopped in front of his chair, leaning until her face was inches from his. "In a word? Yes."
Gohan smirked boldly. "Give it your best shot."
"Okay. Give me your hand."
He stared up at her. "No."
"Don't be a baby!" Sasami grabbed his hand. "What, you think I'm going to stick it down my kimono or something?"
Gohan gave her an angry look. "Well, NOW I do!"
"I said I was going to seduce you, not give you a heart attack." She pried his hand open and pressed her index finger to the center of his palm.
Gohan was about to yawn when what felt like an electric shock shot through his body. His eyes widened in surprise. It hadn't occurred to him that Sasami might know some sort of ancient Juraian technique that was capable of breaking down a man like Vegeta...and in a way, she had been the first one to reach him. Gohan only hoped she hadn't done this with him first.
Sasami's eyes seemed to dance as she slowly traced the lines in his hand. Then she switched to her thumb and repeated the process.
For reasons Gohan couldn't explain, this new sensation was incredible. The feeling of Sasami's soft fingers in his rough palm was scary and exciting all at once. He suspected that as a princess, she wasn't allowed to do much or any manual work. That, and of course, she hated to fight. Gohan, in sharp contrast, had been fighting almost all of his life. His hands were scarred with markings of great power, that of his enemies and his own.
"You give in, or should I go on?" Sasami asked.
"You...call that...seducing?" Gohan said slowly, trying to sound confident. "I've seen better moves from Sailor Saturn, and that's when she was evil."
Sasami's eyes flashed. "Challenge accepted." She let go of his hand.
Gohan felt as if he'd just been refused a wonderful new drug, and instantly began to suffer from withdrawal. "Hey, you can't sto--er, I mean... um..."
"Don't worry. I won't," she promised with a smile. "Just let me know if Saturn ever did this." Sasami placed her hands on his shoulders and sat in his lap. "You know," she whispered, staring into his eyes, "you're willing to go pretty far to protect a notepad."
Gohan's bottom lip quivered a bit. "So? You're going pretty far to get it."
"Just thought I'd mention it." Sasami wrapped her arms around his neck. "I have a confession to make."
"For real, or is this part of the act?"
"Both," she admitted with a grin. She leaned closer until her lips were right next to his ear. "If your mother hadn't been there when I first saw you, I don't think I would have been able to resist kissing you."
"Uh huh. Right."
"I'm...serious, Gohan," Sasami said, pulling back to look at him. "I almost did it anyway, but I wanted to make a good impression on her."
"You mean that?"
"Gohan, I would never lie to you. You know that." She paused and pressed her hand to his cheek. "Don't you?"
"I...I..."
A concerned look passed over her face. "Gohan?"
Gohan sighed. "Nothing. Here." He handed over the notepad.
Sasami eyed him suspiciously. "You're sure?"
"You won. I give up." He swallowed noisily. "You can get off now."
Sasami stepped away from him and began flipping through the notepad. She stopped when she got to the last page. She slowly raised her head and looked at him. "Gohan...?"
"Yes?"
"You want to explain this?"
"Not really, no."
"Do I have to seduce you again?"
Since his head was no longer swimming from her touch, Gohan rediscovered his ability to joke. "Yes. Yes, you do."
Sasami smirked. "In that case, I won't. But I'm starting to worry about you."
"Worry? Why?"
"Well, let's see. Every time I want to go somewhere with you, you make up an excuse not to. You'll only talk to me on the phone, but now you're drawing pictures of me on your notes. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you didn't like me, or you're just punishing yourself."
"So what are you saying?" Gohan asked.
"I'm saying if you don't like me, just say so and I'll leave. If you're punishing yourself, at least tell me why."
"It's not either of those. It's just...I don't want to talk about it." Gohan sighed and looked at the floor.
Sasami stared at him for a moment. Then she looked at the notepad. "You drew my nose wrong."
"What?"
"It's not that small."
Gohan looked up. "You're saying that your nose should be bigger?"
"Not bigger, but...cuter."
"Uh...look, it was just a sketch from memory. I'm not a professional artist."
"And you never will be if you keep drawing noses wrong. Hand me that pencil."
Gohan started to hand over the pencil, then stopped. "No. It's my drawing."
"But it's wrong!"
"So let it be wrong!" he replied, unaware that his voice was rising.
"Gohan, I'm only trying to make it better! Why are you getting so upset?"
"Because it's MY drawing and I think it's perfect just the way it is! You've got no right to say there's anything wrong with it!" He snatched the notepad from her hand. Gohan instantly felt like a heel as tears trickled from her eyes. "Sasami, I didn't mean to-"
"I can't believe I ever doubted you," she whispered.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I came here today to find out if you still cared about me. To see you get this angry over a drawing of me..." Sasami wiped away her tears and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.
Gohan hesitated, then slowly wrapped his arms around her waist. He wanted to tell her why he'd been pushing her away. Why he'd been afraid to see her. And why he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her for more than ten minutes since they'd met.
Sasami sniffled and looked up at him. "Gohan?"
"Yes?"
"We should do this more often."
"You mean argue over a drawing?"
"No."
"The whole seduction thing? I liked that."
"Actually, I meant holding each other like we are right now."
"Oh." Gohan frowned a little. "So we can't do the seduction thing again?"
"I never said that," she replied, gently drawing his head down.
Gohan closed his eyes and leaned forward.
"Hey, you two! Dinner's ready!"
Gohan's head snapped up to see his father in the doorway. "Hey, Dad. We were just...um..."
Goku grinned knowingly. "That's none of my business, son. Sasami, Chi-chi could use your help setting up the table."
"Right away, sir!" Sasami quickly rushed out of the room, only pausing to give Goku a quick peck on the cheek.
Goku grinned at his son. "Always did like her."
"Well, at least you like her. I dunno about Mom."
"I didn't mean me, I meant YOU," Goku replied. "But since you brought it up, she is a sweetheart. Do me a favor and hang onto her."
Gohan scratched his head. "I'll do my best, Dad."
* * * * *
Dinner went surprisingly well. Since Chi-chi knew virtually nothing about Sasami, there was plenty of conversation topics, including her royal blood, Juraian customs, and how she'd met Gohan.
"So you're really a princess?" Chi-chi asked for the third time.
"Yes, ma'am. I'm only the second crown princess, though. My older sister would be first in line for the throne."
"And...what does that make Gohan?"
Sasami stared at her blankly. "Um...a welcome guest?"
"You two aren't dating?" Chi-chi asked.
Gohan and Sasami looked at each other, and it was Gohan that answered.
"Mom, we haven't been on a date."
"Yet," Sasami added quickly, giving his hand a squeeze under the table.
"So what are you waiting for?" Chi-chi asked.
Gohan stared at her. "Uh...what?"
"You heard me. Why are you waiting?"
Gohan blinked. "Well, Mom, I thought you'd want to meet her first."
"Gohan, you've known her for years. You've never even asked her out once?"
To his credit, Gohan only turned a slight shade of red. "Mom."
"I just don't see why you're waiting. No one's getting any younger."
Gohan closed his eyes and barely suppressed a sigh. "If you must know, Sasami didn't think we should be together, and I was respecting her wishes."
Sasami broke the uneasy silence that followed. "I'll take care of the dishes," she said quietly, beginning to clear the table.
When Sasami went into the kitchen, Chi-chi looked at her son. "Do you love her?" she asked in a low voice.
Gohan didn't say anything for a long moment. Then he stood up and left the table.
* * * * *
Goku paused at the door and knocked. "Son? Can I come in?"
"Sure, Dad," came the muffled reply.
Goku walked in to find Gohan lying on the bed with a pillow over his face. "I've got some bad news."
Gohan removed the pillow. "Let me guess. Sasami got into a fight with Mom."
"No, they're fine. I just thought I'd come and warn you."
"About what?"
"Well, I offered to fly Sasami home, and she said no."
Gohan stared at him. "And that hurt your feelings?" he guessed with a shrug.
"No, that's when she said that she'd be staying here tonight."
"Is that all?"
Goku shook his head. "I don't think you understand, son. She's staying HERE," he repeated, pointing at the floor.
Understanding finally dawned on Gohan. "In...my...room?"
"Yes! And in your bed, apparently."
"Oh." Gohan stared at his father for a long moment. "What should I do?"
Goku's look turned serious. "Don't snore. I understand it's not a turn-on."
Gohan sighed. "Thanks, Dad. I think."
"One more thing, Gohan. I don't know too much about love, but I can tell that you really care about Sasami, and she feels the same way about you." He patted his son on the back. "I guess what I'm saying is to be honest with her, and yourself."
* * * * *
Gohan had made up his mind. He would simply pretend to be asleep already. There was more than enough room for Sasami to fit in the bed comfortably without disturbing him. Then there would be no pressure. Well, significantly less, anyway.
Naturally, things didn't exactly go according to plan.
When Gohan first heard the door open and close, he slowed his breathing and tried to remain perfectly still. He felt the bed shift and the blanket rise a bit as Sasami slipped in beside him. Gohan had his back to her, and planned to keep it that way, too.
For the first few minutes, there were no big problems. Sasami's hair was tickling the back of his neck, but it was a small price to pay. That is, until she pressed her face into his back, muttering something about meddling parents.
Still, Gohan could've easily ignored all that, and he did. But when Sasami punched the back of his head, it was time to act. He slowly turned over, dreading another punch. Sasami's eyes were shut tightly, and she was swinging her fists at random, managing to bop Gohan on the nose before he shook her awake.
"Sasami, wale up! It's me!"
Sasami stopped swinging. "I'm sorry. Was I dreaming?"
"I hope so. You didn't have to hit me."
"I...hit you?"
"And you said something about meddling parents."
"Oh." Sasami sighed. "I was just thinking of my parents. My father didn't want me to visit you, and my mother...well, she was already picking out my wedding dress."
"Yikes," Gohan whispered, his eyes widening. "Being a princess is rough, huh?"
"Yeah, sometimes." She added after a moment, "Y'know, your eyes didn't have to get THAT big, mister."
Gohan grinned weakly. "Sorry."
"Better be careful, Gohan. You might make a girl think she's not wanted."
"Don't be silly, Sasami. You know I've always wanted y--er...yellow things..."
Sasami smiled. "Am I looking particularly stupid tonight?"
"No, but I'm starting to get the impression that I do."
"You would, if you weren't so cute," she replied, tweaking his nose. "Now, I seem to recall that in our last little encounter, you were about to kiss me."
Gohan chuckled nervously. "Really? I can't seem to remember that at all."
"Don't worry, you will." Sasami slipped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.
Gohan honestly had every intention of kissing her. But just before he could, something clicked in his mind. "Sasami, wait." He pulled away from her. "I can't do this. Not now, and not with you."
Sasami closed her eyes in frustration. "You might want to rephrase that. In fact, you'd better."
"Okay. We can't do this. We've never-"
"Gohan. I've kissed you before, and you never had a problem with it then."
"I've been doing some thinking, though."
Sasami held in an angry grunt. Every time a guy says that, something stupid follows. I just know it.
Gohan took a deep breath. "I don't think we should see each other anymore."
Acting surprisingly calm, Sasami opened her eyes. "And what led you to that idea?"
"You deserve someone better."
Ah, well. Time to set my all-brawn-and-no-brains Saiyan sweetheart straight. I might even get a kiss out of this. "I see. But tell me this, Gohan. If we had gotten together back at King Kai's, do you think we would still be together?"
"I guess. Why?"
"So is it reasonable to say that you care about me and value my happiness?"
"Yeah, but what-"
Sasami pressed a finger to his lips. "And you do know that I treasure our time together and generally adore you, right?"
Gohan blushed. "Yes, Sasami."
"So what could possibly make you think that I would be happier with someone else?"
"Actually, now that you've pointed all this stuff out, I don't know."
"Exactly." Sasami reached up and playfully smacked his forehead. "Now, if you ever say something that stupid again, I'll have Washu crack open your skull and examine it."
"Sometimes I think you like being smarter than me."
"Untrue. I ALWAYS like being smarter than you."
* * * * *
Sasami woke up in a very good mood the next morning. Partially because she was in Gohan's arms, but mostly because she had impressed his parents, repaired their relationship, and had a fun time, and all in one day.
The mood was ruined when she noticed that they weren't alone.
"Don't mind us," Trunks said. "We're just taking notes."
"You guys didn't do it, did you?" Yugi asked, a disgusted look on her face.
Sasami closed her eyes. "At least tell me you didn't eat popcorn while you watched."
Trunks looked offended. "Course not!"
Yugi nodded. "We had ice cream."
Sasami sighed heavily and nudged her companion. "Wake up, Gohan. We're being spied on."
Gohan sat up. "Oh, it's just you guys." He pulled a pillow over his head and tried to go back to sleep.
"This doesn't bother you?" Sasami asked.
"No. At least they left your friends at home."
Yugi tugged on his pillow. "They're in the kitchen."
Gohan shuddered. "Well, at least they didn't see us."
There was a startled gasp from the doorway. "What are you two doing?!"
Gohan closed his eyes and suppressed the urge to groan. "Hi, Hotaru."
"Calm down, 'Taru," Reenie said. "They've still got their clothes on."
"Yeah, but what about last night?" Sakura added.
Gohan grunted and opened his eyes. "Sasami? Next time, we're doing this on Jurai where our friends can't follow."
"Right," she agreed. "But you know Washu would just make a spaceship for them."
"Mom's in the kitchen, too," Trunks pointed out.
Gohan sighed. "Wonderful."
* * * * *
Instead of going to breakfast and facing further embarrassment, Gohan and Sasami decided to postpone the rest of their visit until a later date. Sasami went a step further and decided that it was time for her to go home, anyway.
So ten minutes later, Gohan found himself in the forest, not far from the spot where they'd first met. He was a little surprised to realize that Sasami hadn't stashed Ryo-Ohki in the woods, which meant she'd gotten here some other way.
"Aside from this morning, I had a really good time," Sasami said. "Didn't you?"
Gohan nodded. "My parents love you, and they think I'm crazy for not bringing you over earlier. I think that's a good sign."
"Me, too." Sasami squeezed his hand. "I know your parents love me, but what about you?"
Gohan only blushed a little. I hate it when she makes me get this mushy. "I love you, too."
"Good. The feeling's mutual." She looked up at the sky. "Y'know, I only wish it could be this easy when you meet my parents."
"Uh oh."
"Yeah." Sasami sighed, then gave him a hopeful smile. "Hey, Gohan?"
"What--oh, no. NO, Sasami."
"C'mon! You have to! It's better that we just get it over with!"
"You only had to meet one parent yesterday! I have to meet two!"
"Please, Gohan?" Sasami stepped closer to him and hugged him tightly. "For me?"
Gohan sounded much less convincing. "No..."
"Please?" She drew his head down and placed a few butterfly kisses on his cheek.
Gohan did his best not to whimper. "Sasami, don't make me do this. I'm not ready! At least let me train a bit before I meet them. I want to stand a chance at survival."
Sasami obviously wasn't paying attention. She gradually kissed virtually every spot on his face. "You know you can't resist me for long," she whispered, finally kissing his lips.
"I'll go on two conditions," Gohan finally muttered.
"What?" she asked.
"First, when we get married, we're having a three month honeymoon."
Sasami grinned. "Not a problem. What else?"
"We're having LOTS of kids."
"Well, unless YOU plan on getting pregnant, we're not going past three, pal."
"Deal." Gohan sighed. "The things I do for love."
"No, the things you do for me," Sasami corrected, kissing his cheek. "But I love you for them. Now, let's go. Jurai's a long way, even for me."
"For...you? Sasami, just how did you get here?"
"Okay, so I got some help from Tsunami. Technically, it's still me. Ready?"
"Is it going to hurt?"
"Nope. But you might throw up the first time."
"Wonderful. I'm sure your parents would love the smell."
Sasami patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, Gohan. They can't hate you since I love you."
Gohan just shook his head. "I really hope you're right, Sasami."
To Be Continued...
Gohan meets Funaho and Sasami's parents, with...unexpected results.
Note: I couldn't resist. They make such a cute couple! This occurs in the Kid Stuff storyline, but I forget where exactly. There's a reference to this period in KS 8, when Sasami talks with Trunks and gives him a crystal. Just thought I'd expand on it. It's also the first time Sasami meets Chi-Chi.
... are thoughts.
Summary: Gohan gets a surprise visit from Sasami.
A Tale of Us, Chapter 1
I should call her...but what could I say? It's been three months since we last talked. Gohan sighed and went back to his algebra notes. I'll call her after I'm done studying. Maybe.
"Gohan!"
Gohan nearly fell out of his chair. He managed to appear only slightly dazed as he turned to the doorway. "Oh, it's you, Mom. What's up?"
"You have a guest, son," Chi-chi replied.
"Really? Who?"
Chi-chi smiled thinly. "I was hoping you could tell me that." It was obvious that she was upset about not knowing one of her son's friends.
Gohan smoothed out his hair. "Did they say what they wanted?"
"Just to talk with you." She eyed him suspiciously. "Be sure you don't talk too long, though. You've got studying to do."
"Okay, Mom," he promised with a nod.
"Good. Your visitor is outside."
As he walked to the front door, Gohan tried to figure out who his guest could be. Maybe it's Dende. I don't think Mom knows him. When he stopped in the front yard, Gohan didn't see anything at first. Then he looked up.
Just beneath the clouds, he could make out a familiar purple figure.
I should've known it was him. No way would Mom let him in the house. "Hey, Icarus! Down here, buddy!"
There was an answering squawk, and a few seconds later, the little dragon landed on his hind feet, flapping his wings gently.
Gohan ran up to his old friend. "Icarus! Long time no see!"
Icarus leaned down to lick his face, and that was when Gohan saw his visitor for the first time. She was sitting on the dragon's back, so she'd been hidden from his view. She wore a green kimono, and her blue hair, though normally in pigtails, cascaded down her back, even past her shoulders.
For a few seconds, Gohan was speechless. That turned out to be a big mistake, because someone else ended the silence.
"Who's your friend, Gohan?" Chi-chi asked from the door.
Gohan swallowed nervously. "Mom, this is Sasami. We trained together at King Kai's school." Without thinking, he automatically reached up to help Sasami down. Had he been paying attention, he would have merely took her outstretched hand as she stepped down. However, Gohan was acting on something more than instinct. Instead, he grabbed her by the waist and lifted her off Icarus's back. By the time he realized how close he was standing to Icarus, it was too late, and he had no choice but to set Sasami down very close to himself.
Sasami, being the affectionate person she was, misread his meaning, and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him something more than a friendly hug. "It's good to see you again, too," she whispered in his ear, squeezing his neck for a moment. Then she went over and introduced herself to Chi-chi, just to be polite.
Gohan did his best to conceal the redness in his face while Sasami and his mother talked about something. He was too nervous to pay attention. Thoughts were racing through his head at a hundred miles per second. What is Sasami doing here? Why didn't she call first? Why hasn't Mom given me the look yet?
Chi-chi finally invited Sasami inside, and then she gave Gohan the look. "Is there anything you want to tell me, Gohan?"
"Huh?" He gave her his most innocent look. "What do you mean?"
"That was more than just a friendly hug. Should I be concerned about leaving you two alone?"
Gohan blushed. "Mom, Sasami and I are just friends! Honest!"
"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" Chi-chi asked as she disappeared into the kitchen.
Gohan sighed and suddenly noticed that Sasami was gone. He soon found her headed straight for his room. He quickly caught up with her and grabbed her hand. "Where are you going?"
Sasami turned around and gave him a surprised look. "Well, I've never seen your room before, and I didn't think you'd mind. Unless you've got something to hide...?"
"No, I guess not," he answered quickly.
She smiled at him. "So there's nothing in there you don't want me to see?"
"Nope." At least, I hope there isn't...
"Okay, if you're sure..." When Gohan didn't argue, she gave his hand a squeeze and dragged him into the room. "Wow! It's just like I always pictured it!"
"Really?" Gohan asked in surprise.
"Sure! Although it is missing the battle uniforms all over the floor, martial arts trophies on the desk, and fist dents in the wall. Other than that, it's exactly like I thought it would be."
Gohan smirked. "So you think I'm a fighting nut."
"I was going to say fighting fanatic."
"Is there a difference?"
Sasami shrugged and turned her attention to the room. Gohan went back to his notes, though he couldn't really focus on them. Sasami kept making little amused noises every time she found something interesting, which was about every three minutes. He couldn't help but smile as he dragged his pencil across the notepad, thinking of all the good times they'd shared with each other. Strangely enough, he could only think of a few times. But why is that? I like Sasami, I really do...but I always get nervous when I'm alone with her. Is that why I always call instead of visiting her?
"Hey, Gohan?" Sasami asked suddenly.
"Huh? What?"
"Am I bothering you?"
Gohan turned to look at her. "What do you mean?"
"Well, you're studying and everything..."
"You obviously don't know my mother. She's like a female Vegeta, except she's obsessed with me becoming a scholar instead of beating up my Dad."
"Sounds harsh." Sasami paused. "So...you don't mind me going through your stuff?"
"Don't feel guilty. As soon as I get the chance, I'll go through all your stuff, too."
While it wasn't the answer Sasami had been looking for, it was enough to keep her quiet for a few more minutes.
Gohan turned back to his notes, froze in shock, and nearly fainted dead away. No, algebra hadn't gotten any scarier in the last few minutes. But the huge sketch he'd done of Sasami's face was pretty alarming. Especially when he hadn't even realized that he'd been doing it.
"What are you studying over there, anyway?" Sasami asked a few seconds later.
Gohan slammed his notepad shut as she peered over his shoulder. "Nothing! It's just boring school stuff!"
"You're hiding something, aren't you? What is it?"
"Nothing!" Gohan tightened his grip on the notepad. "Go back to looking at stuff!"
"Don't make me have to seduce you, Gohan. You'd just be embarrassed, and I...well, you'd be more embarrassed when I see what's in the notepad. Just hand it over."
"No!"
"Fine." Sasami straightened out her hair, then batted her eyelashes. "Don't you think I'm cute?"
"I'm not saying anything without a lawyer present."
"Suit yourself. I warned you." Sasami turned away from him.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" he cried.
"Seducing you," she replied, becoming a bit more obvious with what she was planning.
"HEY! Stop that! My mother's in the kitchen!"
"Oh, fine. But you WILL give me that notepad."
"No, I won't. Now tie that thing back up!"
"It's called a kimono, Gohan."
"I don't care what it's called! Just make sure it's tied all the way, and I mean TIGHT!"
Sasami giggled mischievously. "Are we getting nervous, Gohan?"
"No, we're just trying not to get into trouble! If Mom even thought we were doing something in here..."
"Oh, don't worry. You won't be doing anything. Just sit back and enjoy the seduction...if you can stay conscious."
Gohan rolled his eyes. "Are you still stuck on that?"
Sasami walked over and stopped in front of his chair, leaning until her face was inches from his. "In a word? Yes."
Gohan smirked boldly. "Give it your best shot."
"Okay. Give me your hand."
He stared up at her. "No."
"Don't be a baby!" Sasami grabbed his hand. "What, you think I'm going to stick it down my kimono or something?"
Gohan gave her an angry look. "Well, NOW I do!"
"I said I was going to seduce you, not give you a heart attack." She pried his hand open and pressed her index finger to the center of his palm.
Gohan was about to yawn when what felt like an electric shock shot through his body. His eyes widened in surprise. It hadn't occurred to him that Sasami might know some sort of ancient Juraian technique that was capable of breaking down a man like Vegeta...and in a way, she had been the first one to reach him. Gohan only hoped she hadn't done this with him first.
Sasami's eyes seemed to dance as she slowly traced the lines in his hand. Then she switched to her thumb and repeated the process.
For reasons Gohan couldn't explain, this new sensation was incredible. The feeling of Sasami's soft fingers in his rough palm was scary and exciting all at once. He suspected that as a princess, she wasn't allowed to do much or any manual work. That, and of course, she hated to fight. Gohan, in sharp contrast, had been fighting almost all of his life. His hands were scarred with markings of great power, that of his enemies and his own.
"You give in, or should I go on?" Sasami asked.
"You...call that...seducing?" Gohan said slowly, trying to sound confident. "I've seen better moves from Sailor Saturn, and that's when she was evil."
Sasami's eyes flashed. "Challenge accepted." She let go of his hand.
Gohan felt as if he'd just been refused a wonderful new drug, and instantly began to suffer from withdrawal. "Hey, you can't sto--er, I mean... um..."
"Don't worry. I won't," she promised with a smile. "Just let me know if Saturn ever did this." Sasami placed her hands on his shoulders and sat in his lap. "You know," she whispered, staring into his eyes, "you're willing to go pretty far to protect a notepad."
Gohan's bottom lip quivered a bit. "So? You're going pretty far to get it."
"Just thought I'd mention it." Sasami wrapped her arms around his neck. "I have a confession to make."
"For real, or is this part of the act?"
"Both," she admitted with a grin. She leaned closer until her lips were right next to his ear. "If your mother hadn't been there when I first saw you, I don't think I would have been able to resist kissing you."
"Uh huh. Right."
"I'm...serious, Gohan," Sasami said, pulling back to look at him. "I almost did it anyway, but I wanted to make a good impression on her."
"You mean that?"
"Gohan, I would never lie to you. You know that." She paused and pressed her hand to his cheek. "Don't you?"
"I...I..."
A concerned look passed over her face. "Gohan?"
Gohan sighed. "Nothing. Here." He handed over the notepad.
Sasami eyed him suspiciously. "You're sure?"
"You won. I give up." He swallowed noisily. "You can get off now."
Sasami stepped away from him and began flipping through the notepad. She stopped when she got to the last page. She slowly raised her head and looked at him. "Gohan...?"
"Yes?"
"You want to explain this?"
"Not really, no."
"Do I have to seduce you again?"
Since his head was no longer swimming from her touch, Gohan rediscovered his ability to joke. "Yes. Yes, you do."
Sasami smirked. "In that case, I won't. But I'm starting to worry about you."
"Worry? Why?"
"Well, let's see. Every time I want to go somewhere with you, you make up an excuse not to. You'll only talk to me on the phone, but now you're drawing pictures of me on your notes. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you didn't like me, or you're just punishing yourself."
"So what are you saying?" Gohan asked.
"I'm saying if you don't like me, just say so and I'll leave. If you're punishing yourself, at least tell me why."
"It's not either of those. It's just...I don't want to talk about it." Gohan sighed and looked at the floor.
Sasami stared at him for a moment. Then she looked at the notepad. "You drew my nose wrong."
"What?"
"It's not that small."
Gohan looked up. "You're saying that your nose should be bigger?"
"Not bigger, but...cuter."
"Uh...look, it was just a sketch from memory. I'm not a professional artist."
"And you never will be if you keep drawing noses wrong. Hand me that pencil."
Gohan started to hand over the pencil, then stopped. "No. It's my drawing."
"But it's wrong!"
"So let it be wrong!" he replied, unaware that his voice was rising.
"Gohan, I'm only trying to make it better! Why are you getting so upset?"
"Because it's MY drawing and I think it's perfect just the way it is! You've got no right to say there's anything wrong with it!" He snatched the notepad from her hand. Gohan instantly felt like a heel as tears trickled from her eyes. "Sasami, I didn't mean to-"
"I can't believe I ever doubted you," she whispered.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I came here today to find out if you still cared about me. To see you get this angry over a drawing of me..." Sasami wiped away her tears and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.
Gohan hesitated, then slowly wrapped his arms around her waist. He wanted to tell her why he'd been pushing her away. Why he'd been afraid to see her. And why he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her for more than ten minutes since they'd met.
Sasami sniffled and looked up at him. "Gohan?"
"Yes?"
"We should do this more often."
"You mean argue over a drawing?"
"No."
"The whole seduction thing? I liked that."
"Actually, I meant holding each other like we are right now."
"Oh." Gohan frowned a little. "So we can't do the seduction thing again?"
"I never said that," she replied, gently drawing his head down.
Gohan closed his eyes and leaned forward.
"Hey, you two! Dinner's ready!"
Gohan's head snapped up to see his father in the doorway. "Hey, Dad. We were just...um..."
Goku grinned knowingly. "That's none of my business, son. Sasami, Chi-chi could use your help setting up the table."
"Right away, sir!" Sasami quickly rushed out of the room, only pausing to give Goku a quick peck on the cheek.
Goku grinned at his son. "Always did like her."
"Well, at least you like her. I dunno about Mom."
"I didn't mean me, I meant YOU," Goku replied. "But since you brought it up, she is a sweetheart. Do me a favor and hang onto her."
Gohan scratched his head. "I'll do my best, Dad."
* * * * *
Dinner went surprisingly well. Since Chi-chi knew virtually nothing about Sasami, there was plenty of conversation topics, including her royal blood, Juraian customs, and how she'd met Gohan.
"So you're really a princess?" Chi-chi asked for the third time.
"Yes, ma'am. I'm only the second crown princess, though. My older sister would be first in line for the throne."
"And...what does that make Gohan?"
Sasami stared at her blankly. "Um...a welcome guest?"
"You two aren't dating?" Chi-chi asked.
Gohan and Sasami looked at each other, and it was Gohan that answered.
"Mom, we haven't been on a date."
"Yet," Sasami added quickly, giving his hand a squeeze under the table.
"So what are you waiting for?" Chi-chi asked.
Gohan stared at her. "Uh...what?"
"You heard me. Why are you waiting?"
Gohan blinked. "Well, Mom, I thought you'd want to meet her first."
"Gohan, you've known her for years. You've never even asked her out once?"
To his credit, Gohan only turned a slight shade of red. "Mom."
"I just don't see why you're waiting. No one's getting any younger."
Gohan closed his eyes and barely suppressed a sigh. "If you must know, Sasami didn't think we should be together, and I was respecting her wishes."
Sasami broke the uneasy silence that followed. "I'll take care of the dishes," she said quietly, beginning to clear the table.
When Sasami went into the kitchen, Chi-chi looked at her son. "Do you love her?" she asked in a low voice.
Gohan didn't say anything for a long moment. Then he stood up and left the table.
* * * * *
Goku paused at the door and knocked. "Son? Can I come in?"
"Sure, Dad," came the muffled reply.
Goku walked in to find Gohan lying on the bed with a pillow over his face. "I've got some bad news."
Gohan removed the pillow. "Let me guess. Sasami got into a fight with Mom."
"No, they're fine. I just thought I'd come and warn you."
"About what?"
"Well, I offered to fly Sasami home, and she said no."
Gohan stared at him. "And that hurt your feelings?" he guessed with a shrug.
"No, that's when she said that she'd be staying here tonight."
"Is that all?"
Goku shook his head. "I don't think you understand, son. She's staying HERE," he repeated, pointing at the floor.
Understanding finally dawned on Gohan. "In...my...room?"
"Yes! And in your bed, apparently."
"Oh." Gohan stared at his father for a long moment. "What should I do?"
Goku's look turned serious. "Don't snore. I understand it's not a turn-on."
Gohan sighed. "Thanks, Dad. I think."
"One more thing, Gohan. I don't know too much about love, but I can tell that you really care about Sasami, and she feels the same way about you." He patted his son on the back. "I guess what I'm saying is to be honest with her, and yourself."
* * * * *
Gohan had made up his mind. He would simply pretend to be asleep already. There was more than enough room for Sasami to fit in the bed comfortably without disturbing him. Then there would be no pressure. Well, significantly less, anyway.
Naturally, things didn't exactly go according to plan.
When Gohan first heard the door open and close, he slowed his breathing and tried to remain perfectly still. He felt the bed shift and the blanket rise a bit as Sasami slipped in beside him. Gohan had his back to her, and planned to keep it that way, too.
For the first few minutes, there were no big problems. Sasami's hair was tickling the back of his neck, but it was a small price to pay. That is, until she pressed her face into his back, muttering something about meddling parents.
Still, Gohan could've easily ignored all that, and he did. But when Sasami punched the back of his head, it was time to act. He slowly turned over, dreading another punch. Sasami's eyes were shut tightly, and she was swinging her fists at random, managing to bop Gohan on the nose before he shook her awake.
"Sasami, wale up! It's me!"
Sasami stopped swinging. "I'm sorry. Was I dreaming?"
"I hope so. You didn't have to hit me."
"I...hit you?"
"And you said something about meddling parents."
"Oh." Sasami sighed. "I was just thinking of my parents. My father didn't want me to visit you, and my mother...well, she was already picking out my wedding dress."
"Yikes," Gohan whispered, his eyes widening. "Being a princess is rough, huh?"
"Yeah, sometimes." She added after a moment, "Y'know, your eyes didn't have to get THAT big, mister."
Gohan grinned weakly. "Sorry."
"Better be careful, Gohan. You might make a girl think she's not wanted."
"Don't be silly, Sasami. You know I've always wanted y--er...yellow things..."
Sasami smiled. "Am I looking particularly stupid tonight?"
"No, but I'm starting to get the impression that I do."
"You would, if you weren't so cute," she replied, tweaking his nose. "Now, I seem to recall that in our last little encounter, you were about to kiss me."
Gohan chuckled nervously. "Really? I can't seem to remember that at all."
"Don't worry, you will." Sasami slipped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.
Gohan honestly had every intention of kissing her. But just before he could, something clicked in his mind. "Sasami, wait." He pulled away from her. "I can't do this. Not now, and not with you."
Sasami closed her eyes in frustration. "You might want to rephrase that. In fact, you'd better."
"Okay. We can't do this. We've never-"
"Gohan. I've kissed you before, and you never had a problem with it then."
"I've been doing some thinking, though."
Sasami held in an angry grunt. Every time a guy says that, something stupid follows. I just know it.
Gohan took a deep breath. "I don't think we should see each other anymore."
Acting surprisingly calm, Sasami opened her eyes. "And what led you to that idea?"
"You deserve someone better."
Ah, well. Time to set my all-brawn-and-no-brains Saiyan sweetheart straight. I might even get a kiss out of this. "I see. But tell me this, Gohan. If we had gotten together back at King Kai's, do you think we would still be together?"
"I guess. Why?"
"So is it reasonable to say that you care about me and value my happiness?"
"Yeah, but what-"
Sasami pressed a finger to his lips. "And you do know that I treasure our time together and generally adore you, right?"
Gohan blushed. "Yes, Sasami."
"So what could possibly make you think that I would be happier with someone else?"
"Actually, now that you've pointed all this stuff out, I don't know."
"Exactly." Sasami reached up and playfully smacked his forehead. "Now, if you ever say something that stupid again, I'll have Washu crack open your skull and examine it."
"Sometimes I think you like being smarter than me."
"Untrue. I ALWAYS like being smarter than you."
* * * * *
Sasami woke up in a very good mood the next morning. Partially because she was in Gohan's arms, but mostly because she had impressed his parents, repaired their relationship, and had a fun time, and all in one day.
The mood was ruined when she noticed that they weren't alone.
"Don't mind us," Trunks said. "We're just taking notes."
"You guys didn't do it, did you?" Yugi asked, a disgusted look on her face.
Sasami closed her eyes. "At least tell me you didn't eat popcorn while you watched."
Trunks looked offended. "Course not!"
Yugi nodded. "We had ice cream."
Sasami sighed heavily and nudged her companion. "Wake up, Gohan. We're being spied on."
Gohan sat up. "Oh, it's just you guys." He pulled a pillow over his head and tried to go back to sleep.
"This doesn't bother you?" Sasami asked.
"No. At least they left your friends at home."
Yugi tugged on his pillow. "They're in the kitchen."
Gohan shuddered. "Well, at least they didn't see us."
There was a startled gasp from the doorway. "What are you two doing?!"
Gohan closed his eyes and suppressed the urge to groan. "Hi, Hotaru."
"Calm down, 'Taru," Reenie said. "They've still got their clothes on."
"Yeah, but what about last night?" Sakura added.
Gohan grunted and opened his eyes. "Sasami? Next time, we're doing this on Jurai where our friends can't follow."
"Right," she agreed. "But you know Washu would just make a spaceship for them."
"Mom's in the kitchen, too," Trunks pointed out.
Gohan sighed. "Wonderful."
* * * * *
Instead of going to breakfast and facing further embarrassment, Gohan and Sasami decided to postpone the rest of their visit until a later date. Sasami went a step further and decided that it was time for her to go home, anyway.
So ten minutes later, Gohan found himself in the forest, not far from the spot where they'd first met. He was a little surprised to realize that Sasami hadn't stashed Ryo-Ohki in the woods, which meant she'd gotten here some other way.
"Aside from this morning, I had a really good time," Sasami said. "Didn't you?"
Gohan nodded. "My parents love you, and they think I'm crazy for not bringing you over earlier. I think that's a good sign."
"Me, too." Sasami squeezed his hand. "I know your parents love me, but what about you?"
Gohan only blushed a little. I hate it when she makes me get this mushy. "I love you, too."
"Good. The feeling's mutual." She looked up at the sky. "Y'know, I only wish it could be this easy when you meet my parents."
"Uh oh."
"Yeah." Sasami sighed, then gave him a hopeful smile. "Hey, Gohan?"
"What--oh, no. NO, Sasami."
"C'mon! You have to! It's better that we just get it over with!"
"You only had to meet one parent yesterday! I have to meet two!"
"Please, Gohan?" Sasami stepped closer to him and hugged him tightly. "For me?"
Gohan sounded much less convincing. "No..."
"Please?" She drew his head down and placed a few butterfly kisses on his cheek.
Gohan did his best not to whimper. "Sasami, don't make me do this. I'm not ready! At least let me train a bit before I meet them. I want to stand a chance at survival."
Sasami obviously wasn't paying attention. She gradually kissed virtually every spot on his face. "You know you can't resist me for long," she whispered, finally kissing his lips.
"I'll go on two conditions," Gohan finally muttered.
"What?" she asked.
"First, when we get married, we're having a three month honeymoon."
Sasami grinned. "Not a problem. What else?"
"We're having LOTS of kids."
"Well, unless YOU plan on getting pregnant, we're not going past three, pal."
"Deal." Gohan sighed. "The things I do for love."
"No, the things you do for me," Sasami corrected, kissing his cheek. "But I love you for them. Now, let's go. Jurai's a long way, even for me."
"For...you? Sasami, just how did you get here?"
"Okay, so I got some help from Tsunami. Technically, it's still me. Ready?"
"Is it going to hurt?"
"Nope. But you might throw up the first time."
"Wonderful. I'm sure your parents would love the smell."
Sasami patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, Gohan. They can't hate you since I love you."
Gohan just shook his head. "I really hope you're right, Sasami."
To Be Continued...
Gohan meets Funaho and Sasami's parents, with...unexpected results.